Display apparatus



Jan. 30, 1934. w. s. QUIGLEY 1,945,072

DI SPLAY APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l MI up,

ATTORNEY Jam. 30, 1934. w. s. QUIGLEY 1,945,072

DI SPLAY APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Mfr/ 5.(pug/g ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 39, 1934 UNITED STATES DISPLAY APPARATUSWirt S. Quigley, New York, N. Y., assignor to Quigley Company, Inc, acorporation of New York Application June 24, 1932. Serial No. 619,066

Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in show windows and otherplaces for displaying articles and producing a series of illusionsthereof by means of apparatus for moving said arti- 5 cles over andbefore an arrangement of mirrors, for the purpose of attracting theattention of possible purchasers thereto. In carrying out that purposethere are employed a combination of mirrors giving multiple reflectionsof the article or articles displayed and means for moving the latterthrough a more or less intricate path before said mirrors, whileintermittently flashing an electric light on them. Preferably one ofsaid mirrors is placed under the support for the articles displayed,while others are back of it, substantially opposite the observersviewpoint and so arranged that he will look downwardly at an angle tothe horizontal plane at said article and assembled mirrors. The bestform of 2 apparatus at present known to me embodying my invention isillustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings in which Fig. 1is a perspective view of the apparatus with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a detail cross section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view with parts broken away or shown insection.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 44 of Fig. 3, and also shows amodification, and

Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section on line 55 of Fig. 4, parts beingbroken away.

Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts. 1represents a table 5 top or other surface on which the apparatus rests.2 is a box or casing having a mirror top 3, and containing the mechanismfor sustaining and rotating a small table or other support '7 for thearticle 8, or. articles 8a, 81), (Fig. 4)

0 to be displayed.

These would usually be packaged goods, the cartons of which would beexteriorly decorated with advertising and descriptive matter printed inattractive forms and accompanied perhaps 4 5 by ornamental designs.

4 and 6 are panel mirrors hinged to the intermediate panel mirror 5, sothat they can be adjusted to various angles each to the other as theypartly surround the casing 2, as shown 5 in Fig. 1. If desired, thevertical walls of casing 2 may also have reflecting surfaces.

A flashlight apparatus comprises a casing 9 with a translucent front 10on which advertising or other descriptive matter may be printed 5.5 toact as an illuminated sign when the electric lamps 12, 12, are lighted.11 is a translucent upper panel through which the light of said lampsmay shine on the article 8, and assembled mirrors behind it. Current forthe lamps is supplied through a two wire cord 13a from one branch of theY-socket 15, which can be plugged into a lamp socket by cord and plug14. In this branch of socket 15 may be inserted any desired form ofintermittent current interrupter, such as the condenser indicated at 16.5

According to the preferred form of the invention some mechanism shouldbe employed to rotate the goods support 7, and preferably also to giveit a motion of translation in a plane parallel to mirror 3, whilerotating it. A convenient apparatus for doing that work is illus- 1trated in Figs. 3, a and 5. Current delivered through a two wire cord13, and conductors 24 and 25 controlled by rheostat 26, operates motor23, on the armature shaft of which is a worm 22, meshing with worm wheel21. Said worm wheel is fast on vertical shaft 20 journaled in housing 27and held therein by screw 28-set in said housing and loosely engaging acircumferential groove 28a on said shaft. The upper end 0 of shaft 20extends above mirror 3 into a circular cavity 17 in the under side ofsupport member 7, and is provided with a pinion 19, and a roller 29located above said pinion. The cavity 17 in '7 is provided with anannular internal 5 gear 18 fastened to its circular walls at a heightsuch that it will mesh with pinion 19. Mounted in and concentric withthe Walls of cavity 17 is a thick disc held by screws 31 to the top ofthe cavity and so located as to be in contact with roller 29, whenpinion 19 is in mesh with gear 18. Support 7 rests loosely on mirror top3 and can be lifted ofi when desired.

When current is turned on motor 23 will rotate shaft 20, and pinion 19will thereupon cause gear 18 to rotate around the center of the latterwhich is also the center of disc 30. As these elements of the supportmember 7 are eccentric to its center, it must therefore swing as aneccentric around the common center of 18 and 30, but, as it is subjectedto a driving force from pinion 19 on gear 18 in one direction on oneside of shaft 20, and to a frictional drive in the opposite di rectionon the other side of the shaft from roller 29 bearing on disc 30, italso and at the same time swings around the axis of shaft 20 as aneccentric center constantly shifting relatively to the other center ofrevolution. The combined effect of the interlacing of these eccentricspaths produces a resultant Waltzing movement of any package of goods onsupport '7 which is most effective in attracting attention from theobserver, especially when he sees a multiplicity of reflections of thepackage or packages, some of them upside down, all going through thesame crazy gyrations.

The above described visual efiects can be further heightened if thevertical partition member 32 shown in Fig. 4 be used with its oppositefaces 33 and 34 presenting different colors and packages were placed onboth sides of it. The preferred procedure is to make the partition 32 ofclear glass, covering one side of it with an aluminum paint producing asilver color on that side, but having a black base which shows throughthe glass from the other side.

Other forms of motion might be given to the goods support 7.

In all cases where a horizontal mirror is placed below the goods support7, the latter should have horizontal dimensions less than those of suchmirror, so that an area of reflecting surface will show around saidsupport in all positions it may assume. The mirror panels 4 and 6 may belonger than the middle panel 5, as shown in Fig. 1, so

that said panel 5 will not rest on table 1.

horizontal stationary mirror exposed to the View of the observer, a discof much less area than said mirror rotatably mounted above it closelyadjacent to its upper surface and substantially centrally thereof, tosupport an article to be placed thereon for display, means for rotatingsaid disc, and a plurality of vertical mirrors placed behind said discand horizontal mirror and partly surrounding them; whereby the observer,when gazing downward on said article from a position opposite saidvertical panels, will also see a variety of reflections of various sidesthereof at various angles produced by said assemblage of mirrors.

2. A combination such as defined in claim 1 in which said means forrotating said support also move it about over the surface of saidhorizontal mirror within the boundaries thereof.

3. An apparatus such as defined in claim 1 combined with anintermittently operating electric flash light device located at the edgeof said horizontal mirror opposite said vertical mirrors.

4. A combination such as defined in claim 1 in which said verticalmirrors are angularly adjustable, each with reference to the other.

-5. An apparatus such as defined in claim 1 combined with a singlepartition member projecting vertically upward from and arrangeddiametrically o-f said disc, said partition member having one surface ofa plain, solid color contrasting with that of its other'oppositesurface.

WIRT S. QUIGLEY.

